18 Inspiring Ideas for Holiday Events This Season

Festive holiday decor and event ideas have been popping up across the country at department store window unveilings, hotels, brand pop-ups, lighting celebrations, and more. From life-size snow globes and gingerbread hotels to a flashy Hanukkah lounge and a make-your-own hot cocoa bar, here's a look at some notable ideas from holiday events and venues this season.

Beverly Hills Holiday Lighting Celebration

The 30th annual Beverly Hills Holiday Lighting Celebration took place November 20 on Rodeo Drive. Produced and designed by AGENC, the celebration featured interactive elements including a life-size plexi snow globe gift box. Passersby were encouraged to take a photo in the box and post to Instagram with the hashtag #onlyonrodeo. Decorations will be on display through January 3, 2017.

Beverly Hills Holiday Lighting Celebration

The celebration, which had a "Wrapped in Couture" theme, featured a performance by Broadway star Megan Hilty who performed on a stage that showcased giant jingle balls in white and shades of gold. The stage incorporated the event's new #RodeoGivesBack campaign, which encouraged guests to bring a coat to donate to the Salvation Army and Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills.

National Tree Lighting Ceremony Reception

The post-ceremony reception for the National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C., took place December 1 at Presidents Park. The reception, which was produced by RGI Events and catered by Heirloom Catering, featured a festive bar with hot cocoa and doughnuts.

Photo: Rachel Lyn Photography

National Tree Lighting Ceremony Reception

The reception also featured a "Farmer's Display," which included a variety of charcuterie and cheeses, seasonal vegetables, and fruit, along with decor that had holly in hanging glass jars.

Photo: Rachel Lyn Photography

Cailler Swiss Chocolate Shop

Swiss chocolate brand Cailler opened a holiday pop-up retail shop in New York's meatpacking district from November 19 to 26. The pop-up showcased a window design from Simon Doonan, who commented in a press release: "For me, the inspiration was easy. It's all about Alpine chic."

Photo: Courtesy of Cailler

Patrón Silver Bottle Launch

Patrón celebrated the launch of its limited edition one-liter silver bottles with a party at Sisters in Brooklyn on November 2. The event, which was produced by M Booth, offered guests the chance to gift their own bottle in branded gift bags.

Photo: Courtesy of Patrón

Bloomingdale's Holiday Window Unveiling

Bloomingdale's in New York unveiled its holiday window displays on November 21. Inspired by its holiday campaign theme "light," the brand invited visual artists to create chandeliers based on their artistic expression of the word. Window chandeliers included Allison Eden's "Sparkle," which was inspired by the ocean.

Bloomingdale's Holiday Window Unveiling

Great Wolf Lodge's Dine-In Gingerbread House

Fourteen Great Wolf Lodge locations debuted dine-in gingerbread houses made with 600 pounds of dough, 5,000 candies, and 1,320 pounds of sugar. The houses were constructed by each resort's employee team.

Conrad Miami's Snow In Miami

Hallmark's #NoOrdinaryCard Mobile Pop-Up

Hallmark hosted a mobile pop-up at various locations in Toronto from November 25 to 27. Passersby were invited to step inside a branded truck to write messages on a free Hallmark card of their choice, and enjoy beverages in branded cups.

Photo: Courtesy of Hallmark

Hallmark's #NoOrdinaryCard Mobile Pop-Up

Passersby could mail friends or family members cards in a branded mailbox.

Photo: Courtesy of Hallmark

Miracle on Seventh Street

Mixology and hospitality company Drink Company president Derek Brown and C.E.O. Angie Fetherston turned three bars on Washington's Seventh Street—Eat the Rich, Southern Efficiency, and Mockingbird Hill—into pop culture-theme winter wonderlands for the holiday season. Eat the Rich features a tribute to the Netflix series Stranger Things with faded wallpaper, graffiti of the alphabet, and retro Christmas lights.

Photo: Scott Suchman

Miracle on Seventh Street

Mockingbird Hill offers a tribute to Iceland with decorative narwhals with Santa hats and a ceiling cloud installation.

Photo: Scott Suchman

Miracle on 7th Street

Mockingbird Hill also has a "Hanukkah Hangout" section that showcases a glass mosaic menorah.

Photo: Scott Suchman

Hudson's Bay Holiday Window Unveiling

Hudson's Bay in Toronto unveiled its holiday window display on November 3 with an event that included a performance by Mariah Carey. The theme of the window display is "Enchanted Forest," offering holiday-inspired scenes showcasing hand-sculpted animals including skiing mice and a bear buried in snow.

Photo: David Pike

Hilton Chicago's Gingerbread Hotel

Staff at the Hilton Chicago created a gingerbread hotel that stands more than six feet tall. The life-size hotel was created with 16,000 gingerbread "bricks" and took more than 250 hours to create.

Photo: Courtesy of Hilton Chicago

The Westin La Paloma's Christmas Cacti

The Westin La Paloma in Tucson, Arizona, features a 24-foot-tall Christmas tree created with more than 300 living golden barrel cacti, inspired by the resort's Sonoran Desert setting. Each cacti will be planted in the resort's landscape at the end of the holiday season.